Parliament of the Invisible

Sustainable Voices from Below

Martin Schenk

Whoever speaks has something to tell. Who someone is or was, we can only find out when we hear the story of which he or she is the hero. Taking the floor does not mean speaking for someone, but speaking for oneself. When the excluded make their own living world visible, they create a place from which they can speak. The curtain opens to a stage where their own story receives its own interpretation – and at the same time significance. The unspectacular aspects of one’s own life gain a stage and become special. Those who speak up can express who they are – and who they can be. “Not being perceived” also means “being excluded”.

That is why the longing for a just & sustainable society is always connected with the desire for recognition. And this is exactly where renewal must begin: with those whose lives remain in the dark, who are not represented, who are not visible. Initiatives like the Parliament of the Invisible, life sketches, street newspapers, or the platform “Becoming Visible” want to make visible the everyday lives of those who are not in the spotlight. Amplify voices that are usually overlooked. Tell stories that no one tells. They address the need for the narration of “ordinary” life stories and the consideration of everyday desires. And what applies to all projects and initiatives: We need an idea of the future for which it is worth changing something in the present